Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. MGEE scored 62.4, WTRG scored 63.8 — WTRG leads.
Compare another set
Different reporting periods. WTRG's fundamentals are as of June 2026, but MGEE's are as of March 2026 — a 3-month gap. Growth, margin and valuation figures below therefore describe different windows and aren't strictly like-for-like.
MGEE
MGE Energy, Inc.
Utilities - Regulated Electric · Quality-Growth
62.4
$70.22 · $2.7B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
1.4
WTRG leads
WTRG
Essential Utilities, Inc.
Utilities - Regulated Water · Quality-Growth
63.8
$38.98 · $11.1B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
CheapestMGEE3.5x
Fastest growthWTRG+9.9%
Strongest balance sheetMGEE0.65
Highest qualityWTRG57 / 100
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
Growth against the P/S multiple. Up and to the right is cheaper and faster — the quality-growth idea in one picture. Points beyond the axis are pinned to the edge and marked off-scale rather than allowed to compress everything else.
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
MGEE
stronger →← stronger
WTRG
55
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
57
67
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
66
66
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
68
WTRG is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
MGEE
WTRG
-$131mF
FCF
-$1.0bF
+9.9%B
Rev
+9.9%B
0.65A
D/E
1.22B+
3.5xC
P/S
4.3xC
4.12D
PEG
3.45D
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Model signals
MGEE
Why this score
Raising its dividend
WTRG
Why this score
Raising its dividend
The companies
MGEEMGE Energy, Inc.
Utilities - Regulated Electric · $70.22 · beta 0.69
Why now
Utilities - Regulated Electric · market cap $2.7b. Down 20% from 52-week high of $87.94 — deep drawdown territory. 5 sell-side analysts publish a mean 1-yr target of $76.80 (implying +9% upside).
Moat
Net margin 20% beats the market median by a meaningful margin — the company is keeping more of every revenue dollar than the average S&P constituent. ROE 11% meets the long-run market sustainable threshold — solid but not differentiated; the durability comes from elsewhere.
Risk
Free cash flow is negative (-$131m) — capital raises or debt issuance likely required; dilution / leverage risk.
WTRGEssential Utilities, Inc.
Utilities - Regulated Water · $38.98 · beta 0.62
Why now
Utilities - Regulated Water · market cap $11.1b. 8% off the 52-week high of $42.51. 5 sell-side analysts rate this a Hold with a mean 1-yr target of $42.20 (implying +8% upside).
Moat
Net margin 41% is exceptional — pricing-power territory rare outside premium software, branded staples, and specialty pharma. ROE 15% meets the long-run market sustainable threshold — solid but not differentiated; the durability comes from elsewhere.
Risk
Free cash flow is negative (-$1.0b) — capital raises or debt issuance likely required; dilution / leverage risk.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Common questions
Is WTRG or MGEE the better stock?
WTRG scores higher: WTRG 63.8, MGEE 62.4 out of 100 on the Bull Rankings quality-growth score, which blends business quality, growth and valuation into one number. A higher score means a stronger business at a more reasonable price — it is not a price target or a recommendation.
How are WTRG and MGEE scored?
Each carries the same 0–100 quality-growth score used everywhere on the site, built from three pillars — quality (profitability and returns on capital), growth (revenue and earnings), and value (what you pay for them) — combined as a geometric mean, so a weak pillar cannot be papered over by a strong one.
How current is this comparison?
The whole universe is re-scored every trading day after the US market close, so the scores and fundamentals here reflect the latest published edition.